Workplace boredom is something that can have an adverse impact on your bottom line and in the “new normal”, workers have to be checked even more from time to time, to make sure they are not unproductive, demotivated or simply bored.
Here’s what you can do to help your workers beat workplace boredom:
Make work happiness and wellness a priority
At some point, work may feel like a drag for some of your employees, and that’s totally normal. In truth, they may simply not be happy. Productivity and retention are among the key elements which bolster an organisation’s revenue and the secret sauce behind that is employee happiness!
There’s a lot you can do to create happier workers: boost levels of engagement and communication, connect with them on a personal level and acknowledge every bit of hard work they put into their jobs. In fact, you could even send weekly bulk emails to the entire team, touting successes and milestones achieved recently by someone.
This level of personal contact, including frequent workshops, can really breathe new life into your employees.
Invest in some ‘fun gadgets’ and office games
It may sound a bit counterintuitive at first – promoting fun and games at the office – but believe us when we tell you that the vast majority of working adults still have an almost child-like appreciation for toys and games. Desktop games like Connect Four, for instance, are a raving hit at offices – you can always choose when employees have access to it – and contraptions like app-controlled coffee machines will really intrigue employees, getting them excited at the thought of fetching some coffee!
However, your office toys or gadget ideas don’t necessarily have to be frivolous all the time – massage chairs will really take your workers’ happiness levels up by a few notches, especially when they find relief from back pain and headaches. In fact, there’s a trend in Japanese workplaces where there are standing work desks with an integrated treadmill.
Hire wellness consultants
One of the best ways to boost your employees’ happiness levels is by organising a wellness activity or workshop. It’s a good idea to bring in a teacher, consultant or trainer who can shake up your employees’ regular routine, providing lots of opportunities to have fun, relax, bond and build a sense of teamwork as well as camaraderie at the same time. Corporate massages and holiday yoga classes are just a few ideas that come to mind.
Diversify meetings – make them more “fun”
Meetings – they can be incredibly dull and drab sometimes, sucking out the life from everyone! This is especially true when the same ‘characters’ discuss the same list of topics or agenda over and over again nearly every week.
Why not diversify each meeting by engaging employees in coordinated ‘thinkbox’ projects, where people who typically remain silent or aren’t required to speak up during meetings – are invited to relay their thoughts? This is also a great drill for getting people to think out of the box and an equally awesome way to break up the usual monotony and dullness associated with meetings.
